Opera in the Park Cast

Opera in the Park 2022 Cast

Angela Brown
Soprano Angela Brown’s multi-genre career has been lauded on the front page of The New York Times, CNN, CBS, in Oprah Magazine and Reader's Digest. With classical and pops engagements spanning six continents, Angela has graced the leading opera and symphonic stages of the world. Her vocal artistry is featured on the two-time Grammy Award® winning recording “Ask Your Mama.” Her voice is the inspiration for new works including a symphonic song cycle and two principal opera roles. American composer Richard Danielpour set the poetry of Dr. Maya Angelou to create the work “A Woman’s Life” that Angela has performed with Pittsburgh Symphony and Philadelphia Orchestra and recorded for the Naxos label with Nashville Symphony Orchestra. The opera roles of Addie Parker in Daniel Schneider’s Charlie Parker’s Yardbird and Cilla in Richard Danielpour’s Margaret Garner were both written for, premiered by, and reprised many times by Angela. Angela’s most recent endeavor is the founding of Morning Brown, Inc., a nonprofit with the mission of bridging the gap between accessible, live-music programs and underserved individuals, schools, and communities.

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Maestro Alfred Savia
Recently appointed Artistic Advisor and Principal Conductor of the Indianapolis Opera, Alfred Savia is no stranger to the Indianapolis musical scene. Savia served as Associate Conductor of the ISO and Artistic Director of Symphony On the Prairie from 1990 to1996. In 2019-20, Maestro Savia celebrated his 31st and final season as Music Director of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra. Under his leadership the Orchestra added a Youth Orchestra program, Philharmonic Chorus, and Eykamp String Quartet. He initiated many new programs including Messiah, Nutcracker, Music Alive residencies, and fully staged opera presentations. Savia’s American guest conducting appearances include the Orchestras of Saint Louis, Detroit, Phoenix, Columbus, Memphis, San Antonio, Louisville, New Orleans and Naples (FL). Internationally, he has conducted orchestras extensively in Europe (Florence, Belgrade), Central and South America (Santiago, Montevideo, Quito; Toluca, and Jalapa in Mexico), and Asia (Korea Philharmonic). Festival appearances include Chicago’s Grant Park Symphony and the Wintergreen Summer Music Festival. He recorded Russell Peck’s The Thrill of the Orchestra with London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and, with pianist Antonio Pompa-Baldi and the Evansville Philharmonic, Respighi’s Piano Concerto. A native of Livingston, New Jersey, Savia graduated from Butler University. Conducting studies at the ASOL Institute of Orchestral Studies and the Tanglewood Music Center led to his first professional appointment as Assistant Conductor of The Omaha Symphony. Subsequently, he served as Resident Conductor of the Florida Philharmonic and New Orleans Symphony Orchestra, Associate Conductor of the Florida Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the Orlando Opera....

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Migeun Chung, Pianist
Dr. Migeun Chung, collaborative pianist/coach, was named music director for Opera Scenes at MOSI in Winter 2021, répétiteur/pianist for A Midsummer Night's Dream at Opera NUOVA in summer 2019, coach/pianist at Opera in the Ozarks in 2018, and has participated in multiple opera and musical theatre productions at Bayview Music Festival. Her recent engagements include working with Marcello Cormio at the Opera Lucca (Puccini's Suor Angelica) and Gabriel Dobner at AIMS of 2022 as a lieder pianist. In the upcoming 2022 season at MOSI, Dr. Chung will return as a pianist-coach for Così fan tutte and a Music Director and Pianist-Coach for Opera Scenes Showcase. Past productions include George Frideric Handel’s Rinaldo, Johann Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Douglas Moore’s The Ballad of Baby Doe, Cinderella (a Pastiche) of Rossini and Massenet, Bizet’s Carmen, Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Gréty’s Zémire et Azor, Kurt Weill’s Berlin to Broadway, and Stephen Schwartz’s Pippin, and Dunean Sheik’s Spring Awakening. Dr. Chung frequently plays in master classes and continues to collaborate with internationally renowned artists, music directors, and coaches at NUOVA, the CoOperative program, and Classic Lyric Arts in Italy. Dr. Chung holds a Doctorate and Master's degree in piano performance, with focused studies in collaborative piano, from the University of North Texas, where she received the Eastman Piano Scholarship for International Students, Patsy C. & Fred W. Patterson Scholarship, Larry Walz Piano Scholarship, and a graduate assistantship under Adam Wodnicki. She recently earned a second Master's degree in collaborative piano from Carnegie Mellon University, where she also served as opera rehearsal/principal pianist. In the spring of 2022, she will return to Indianapolis Opera as Resident Artist Pianist.

Daniel Narducci
Classic American Baritone Daniel Narducci is a multi-faceted artist whose talents have been captured through live stage presentations, recordings, documentaries, and television. Since his professional debut with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra under the direction of rich Kunzel, Mr. Narducci has appeared with many of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, including the Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Pops, Dallas Symphony, Naples Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Baltimore Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Houston Symphony, and the Detroit Symphony. Mr. Narducci’s television appearances have reached audiences worldwide. His historic performance with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing was filmed for nationwide broadcast in China. Mr. Narducci’s other television appearances include co-starring with Frederica von Stade and the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra in a program broadcast internationally by PBS entitled Pops at the Phil: A Century of Broadway. Daniel Narducci’s combined talents have been seen on operetta and musical theatre stages throughout North America and Europe. He made his New York City debut at Alice Tully Hall with the Collegiate Chorale Bass in An Evening of American Operetta. Mr. Narducci portrayed Old Deuteronomy in the 10th anniversary production of Cats in Hamburg, Germany, and he played the role of Lancelot during two national tours of Camelot, most notably opposite Robert Goulet’s King Arthur. He later "ascended to the throne" as King Arthur in Indianapolis Opera's production of Camelot. On the operatic stage, Daniel Narducci’s recent appearances include Marcello in La Bohème with the Indianapolis Opera, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with the Canton Symphony, Silvio in I Pagliacci with Opera Santa Barbara, and Mercutio in Gounod’s Roméo Et Juliette with the Cleveland Opera.

Joshua Thompson
Joshua Thompson is a pianist, social musicologist, teaching artist, lecturer, and producer. He is recognized on a national scale for his expertise on classical composers of African descent and the inherent cultural connectivity in Black Arts movements. A recipient of multiple awards, citations, and national residencies including the 2020 Beckman Emerging Artist Fellow of the Arts Council of Indianapolis, he successfully completed his residency at the Africana Studies Center for Music and Society at the Berklee School of Music in Boston with Dr. Bill Banfield followed by a performing and
teaching residency at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA. Thompson was recently appointed Creative Partner in Residence with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra through 2024. As creator of the 2020 Best Music Podcast from the Black Podcasting Awards, his award-winning podcast series, Melanated Moments in Classical Music has been featured in the Miami Times and the British publication, Alternative Classical. Entering its fifth season with a growing audience in over 110 countries and nearly 2000 cities worldwide, Thompson has worked with Pulitzer Prize winner Anthony Davis, renowned clarinetist Anthony McGill and legendary operatic soprano, Angela Brown.

Jared Thompson
An Indy native, Jared Thompson is a saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He began piano at the age of 5 and began studying saxophone at the age of 10. The North Central High School(c/o 2000)and Denison University alum(c/o2004) formed his own jazz quartet Premium Blend in 2007. A mainstay and fan favorite in the Indy area, Thompson performs regularly at The Chatterbox, The Jazz Kitchen, and a myriad of venues in the city. Premium Blend has been featured in two national award-winning documentaries “Go Get Your Horn”, and “Chatterbox: A Love Letter.” They have also released four albums “S.O.A.P.(Sum Of All Parts) and “The Road,” and released their third album “Vices” in June of 2019. Premium Blend’s fourth studio album, “38th & Postmodernism,” was a featured commission by the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation for Indy Jazz Fest 2020, and is the soundtrack for the docu-concert “38th & Postmodernism” that addressed the myriad of social tensions that were at the forefront of America’s mind throughout 2020. Their documentary was accepted by the Heartland International Film Festival under the Indy Shorts category in 2021. Thompson also performs and writes for the hip-hop band Clint Breeze and The Groove, who have performed most recently with Tank & the Bangas as well as Trombone Shorty. Thompson has also performed at SXSW(2018) and was recently commissioned by Classical Music Indy to compose a piece that will be released in November of 2021. Thompson’s main goal is to present the evolution of jazz music from its zenith of popularity during the Blue Note Records years to today.

Anna Mandina
Hailed as a “true Puccini lyric soprano” by Opera News, Italian-American soprano, Anna Mandina, is quickly making a name for herself in the opera world. Ms. Mandina recently performed the role of Mimì in Sarasota Opera’s production of Puccini’s La bohème to great acclaim. Anna made her mainstage debut at Sarasota Opera in 2019, singing 13 performances of Liù in the company’s Diamond Anniversary production of Turandot. Mandina was hailed as “impressive” and "heart-rending” as Liù by Opera News, having conveyed “all that is sweet and good with a robust soprano voice that can float a high B-flat as she sung of Calaf’s smile.” In 2016, 2017, and 2019, Anna performed as a Studio Artist and a Principal Artist with Opera Maine. In her time there, Ms. Mandina performed the role of Eva Crowley in the East Coast premiere of Jack Perla's An American Dream. Besides the Puccini heroines, Anna’s signature roles include Countess Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro), Micaëla (Carmen), Violetta Valéry (La traviata), Susannah Polk (Susannah), and Hanna Glawari (The Merry Widow). Anna’s training has included apprenticeships with Seagle Festival, the Houston Grand Opera Young Artist Vocal Academy, Opera Company of Middlebury, Opera Maine, the Missouri Symphony, and Sarasota Opera. Ms. Mandina holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and a Master of Music in Opera Performance from The Boston Conservatory. When she is at home in Kansas City, Anna enjoys cooking with her Italian family, gardening, and spending quality time with her partner Shawn and their two cats, Charlie and Linus.

Christine Boddicker
Christine Boddicker, mezzo-soprano, a native of the Chicagoland area of Illinois is excited to return to the Midwest to join Indianapolis Opera as a Resident Artist. Christine’s recent engagements include Mercédès (Carmen) and covering Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia) as a Young Artist at Brevard Music Festival. Previously, Christine has been a Young Artist with Opera Steamboat (2021), Chicago Summer Opera (2019), and Janiec Opera Company of the Brevard Music Center (2018, 2022). Additionally, in December of 2019, she traveled to Wichita, Kansas to sing the role of La Zelatrice (Suor Angelica) with Music on Site Inc. In the summer of 2020, Christine had the privilege to rejoin the Janiec Opera Company as Dater #44 in the virtual premiere of ZOOM Speed Dating Tonight! Other recent virtual projects include operatic scenes with Miami Music Festival, and Sally (A Hand of Bridge) with the Moores Opera Center. Favorite roles performed include Sesto (La clemenza di Tito) with Opera Steamboat, Angelina (La Cenerentola),Charlotte (A Little Night Music), Sesto (Giulio Cesare), and Giacinta (La finta semplice) with the Moores Opera Center. Christine has also been selected as a finalist in the 2022 San Antonio Tuesday Musical Club vocal competition, and received the First Place award in the 2021 MI Opera Voice Competition. She holds degrees from University of Houston (MM - Performance) and Michigan State University (BM - Performance).

Brandon A. Lockhart
A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Brandon Lockhart began his musical studies at the young age of nine. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Kentucky State University prior to matriculating at Florida State University College of Music, earning a Master of Music in Vocal Performance. Brandon delights in his passion for interpreting classical literature and has performed a varied repertoire including Opera, Oratorio, Musical Theater, Art Song and Jazz. Beginning his vocal studies as a baritone, highlights of opera performances include Marco in Gianni Schicchi, Guglielmo in Cosí fan tutte, Le moine musicien in Massenet’s rarely performed Le jongleur de Notre Dame, Morales in Carmen and Dandini in La Cenerentola. In 2013 he was the grand prize recipient of the Hannah C. Bealieu Vocal Competition. In 2016, Brandon made his debut as a Tenor. His first engagement was the Tenor Soloist for Dubois’ Seven Last Words of Christ and was featured in recital at the Metropolitan A.M.E. Church. Brandon’s role credits as a tenor include Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus, El Remendado in Carmen, Tamino in The Magic Flute and Le Comte Barigoule in Viardot’s Cendrillon, Parpignol in La Boheme and Rapunzel’s Prince in Sondheim’s Into the Woods.

Dalton Woody
Dalton Woody, a baritone originally from Western North Carolina, received his undergraduate degree in Vocal Performance from Mars Hill University and his Master’s degree in Opera Performance from the University of Houston. Dalton has appeared in supporting roles with the Asheville Lyric Opera as Action in Bernstein’s West Side Story, Fiorello in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and The Speaker in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. While attending the University of Houston, he sang the roles of Francis Nurse in Robert Ward’s The Crucible, Cosimo in John Musto’s The Inspector, Ali in Rossini’s L’italiana in Algeri, Leandro in Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges, and Charles Surface in the world premiere of the University of Houston’s Production of The School For Scandal. In addition to opera, Dalton was the bass soloist with the Symphony of Southeast Texas for their 2020 performance of the Faure Requiem. Dalton joined Houston Grand Opera as a chorister for their 2020 production of Verdi’s Aïda and returned for their 2022 production of Puccini’s Turandot. During the Summer of 2021, Dalton was engaged as an Emerging Artist with Charlottesville Opera, where he sang the role of Alcindoro in Puccini’s La Bohème. Dalton returned as an Emerging Artist to Charlottesville Opera the following summer where he sang the role of Franz the Butler and covered Captain von Trapp in Rogers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music and sang the role of Cascada in Franz Lehár’s The Merry Widow.